The Big Five. Here at het Kruger Park every tourist is taking about it. Call it occupational deformation but I do not think about the lion, leopard, rhino and buffalo. My mind goes to the five characteristics that psychologists Costa and McCrae defined. In 1992 these guys came up with 5 dimensions (OCEAN) that support indicating personality traits. According to this theory everybody scores within a certain range on each dimension:
– O pennes; are you into new experiences or prefer nice and familiar
– C onscientiousness; tend to dot the i’s or a bit sloppy
– E xtraversion; outgoing or modest
– A greeablenss; friendly, service oriented or a tat challenging
– N euroticism; quick to worry or always chill
The Big Five can help to define strengths in yourself and others. In addition it might shed a light on possible irrations you encounter in your relations. A team that compliments eachother’s skills is crucial to achieve optimum results but can also cause friction. If you are jumping up and down to start a new project, the well-intented advice to by “carefull and take time” can feel like an utter mood killer. With OCEAN you can consider the unique way someone views the world, and how that view can broaden your mind.
To start and end with animals, one tiny fact on pets. Research shows that pet owners describe their fourlegged friends according to OCEAN. Having a bit shy, stubborn, sweet and little nervous cat I totally get that.